Why the council president matters

• Leads the city’s legislative branch and can act as a counterbalance to the mayor.

• Controls council committee appointments.

• Sets the council agenda — a subtle, but potentially powerful bureaucratic tool.

San Diego  The surprise decision by San Diego City Council President Tony Young to resign may have paved the way for one of the council’s young stars — Democrat Todd Gloria — to assume leadership of the panel as the city embarks on a new era under Mayor-elect Bob Filner.

The smart money is on Gloria being voted Monday by his council colleagues to replace Young and, in some circles at City Hall, it’s considered a fait accompli. The only legitimate threat to Gloria’s ascendancy is Republican Kevin Faulconer should he seek the job.

Aside from their political leanings, the two men have similar qualities: the respect of other council members, the gravitas to lead, affable personalities and, perhaps most importantly, ambition.

So far Gloria is unabashedly seeking the presidency while Faulconer remains coy about his intentions.

The new nine-member council, which has a 5-4 Democratic majority, is scheduled to select its president for 2013 on Monday after the inauguration ceremony for Filner and two freshman council members. The president is a key position under the city’s strong mayor form of government as he or she leads the legislative branch, makes council committee appointments, sets the council agenda and provides a counterbalance to the mayor’s executive power.

In a worst-case scenario for Gloria, the council vote would split along party lines, leaving Young as the decisive swing vote to choose his successor. It seems unlikely that Young, a Democrat, would go against his party and back Faulconer, but the council president is known for his independence.

In an interview Tuesday, Young declined to say who he would be supporting. When told his vote could decide the contest, he smiled.

“Hopefully we can find someone who’s going to work with both sides of the aisle, who’s going to be focused on the issues,” Young said. “You know it’s an environment throughout the country where there’s a lot of partisanship. Lately, the last few years, that has not been the (case on the) City Council. Hopefully that continues.”

Both Faulconer and Gloria could easily assume the bipartisan mantle established by Young. Gloria was often the first Democrat that current Mayor Jerry Sanders called on when he wanted to show bipartisan support for an issue while Faulconer has played a similar role for bipartisan efforts spearheaded by his Democratic colleagues. In fact, Faulconer and Gloria held a news conference together Tuesday on a “restaurant relief” initiative.

Gloria, 34, is a rising star in the Democratic Party and often the most eloquent public speaker on the council. He has shown a willingness to part ways with key Democratic supporters, including labor which gave him a “D” grade earlier this year, by supporting major civic projects like the convention center expansion. Redistricting has also changed the borders of his district to now include downtown, long the most influential of city neighborhoods.